Extract:
Select the word or phrase that makes the following sentence grammatically correct.
Kalinda spends part of her day ____________ data from the lab.
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A
inputs
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B
input
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C
having input
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D
inputting
The word "inputting" makes the sentence grammatically correct by providing the gerund form required after "spends part of her day."
A) inputs
Third-person singular "inputs" creates finite verb conflict with main verb "spends." "Kalinda spends... inputs" produces ungrammatical sequence of two finite verbs without conjunction.
B) input
Bare verb "input" cannot function as object after "spends." The construction "spend time [verb]ing" requires gerund form—not base verb.
C) having input
Perfect gerund "having input" implies completion before another action—unnecessarily complex and temporally inappropriate for describing routine daily activity.
D) inputting
Gerund "inputting" correctly follows the verb pattern "spend time [verb]-ing." After verbs like "spend," "waste," or "pass" referring to time usage, gerunds express the activity occupying that time—making "inputting" grammatically standard.
Conclusion
Verbs expressing time allocation ("spend," "waste," "pass") require gerund complements to describe the occupying activity. "Inputting" provides the grammatically required -ing form after "spends part of her day," creating a standard verb pattern expressing routine data entry activity.